warriors game day: brooklyn nets recap (Photo: LetsGoWarriors.com Instagram account)
ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — The Golden State Warriors used defense, another step-up game by Jermaine O’Neal in Andrew Bogut‘s absence, and Draymond Green‘s stellar play in David Lee‘s absence (out with a stomach flu), capped by an incredible “called” three-point bankshot to stave off the Brooklyn Nets, 93-86.
Here are some game day sights and sounds.
PRE-GAME
Steve Blake. Chillin’ like a… Pyscho Competitor!!! Draymond getting up some shots in the post on Scalabrine, esp with D.Lee out tonight w the flu.
Mark Jackson says D.Lee actually didn’t feel well in the Houston game and even showed up for morning shootaround, but… he referenced the “no-excuse-basketball-team” cliche. Warriors PR also issued an “Alternate Short Sleeves Facts & Figures”, but failed to point out that Curry doesn’t like them. The Warriors wore the white sleeved jerseys as planned for all Saturday home games this season.
IN-GAME
Warriors 23, Nets 16, Q1, 2:54, on Harrison Barnes left-handed throwdown.
From earlier in the game, Andre Iguodala sinks a jumper and someone in #DubNation caught a clip of it from their courtside seats. Another great highlight was Green’s floater. #Warriors 37,#BrooklynNets 33, Q2, 7:24.
Curry had 10 points, 5 assists at halftime, and the Warriors had a 49-46 lead. Meanwhile, someone caught a Warriors fans in a Baron Davis throwback jersey, only with the name replaced by a makeshift reference to Vonteego Cummings. Only at #Roaracle! The Warriors stretched their lead to 66-55 by late Q3 with 3:09 remaining.
But Brooklyn climbed back despite O’Neal’s 17 points and 12 rebounds. The #DanceCam was on and the Warriors led just 68-64 at the end of Q3. Curry had 12 points, 7 assists.
With 8:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Warriors led 73-68, Q4, as a Green smash forced Nets coach and Bay Area native Jason Kidd to call timeout. From press row: Curry hits a trey banker, #Roaracle erupts. Curry’s amazing shot was the Warriors’ proverbial “nail in the coffin”, giving the Warriors an insurmountable 91-86 lead with just 37.2 seconds left to play.
What made the shot even more ridiculous was Curry pulling his shorts WAY up. Here’s a still shot and the video replay.
Was Curry aiming for the bankshot? Warriors color commentator Jim Barnett thinks so, according to the CSN Bay Area broadcast. We also have Lower Level #Roaracle view of the shotand ensuing pull of shorts (see lower right-hand corner).
Here’s yet another lower level #Roaracle angle of the Curry banker. The final score was Warriors 93, Nets 86, with O’Neal leading the scoring and rebounding with 23 points and 13 rebounds, while Curry added 17 points and 8 assists.
POST-GAME
Curry on the last shot: “I wasn’t surprised” the shot went in and “literally tried to follow through” — that’s his nice-guy way of saying that, yes indeed, he was trying to hit the backboard on the shot. Green said he heard Curry say, “It’s open!”, “Talkin’ bout the bank being open.”
Jackson talked about how the veteran Nets slowed the game down, but also how the Warriors responded. O’Neal explained the hitch in his free throw release. The Nets were a victim of it once, and it’s a habit he can’t break now, although it started as a strategy to induce the lane violation and get a 2-for-1. Most referees are aware of it now and even warn the opposing team about it, although sometimes the opposing team does not heed the advice, as we saw tonight.
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